A joke has been circulating on the internet which goes, “if one believes that a place can be developed without boundary, he is either an idiot or an ‘economist’.” In Hong Kong, this joke should be amended to include all those who are blinded by money, the government officials, property tycoons and those have vested interest in the tourism industry.

These people and professions are labelled and laughed at nowadays simply because many of them are individuals have completely ignore the public interest and opinions. For example, when they talk about the overpopulation issue and influx of individual travel visa tourists, they seem to understand only one thing – the more the merrier, without acknowledging the fact of overpopulation in Hong Kong. As if all they care about is the financial gain they have their hands on.

A subdivided flat in Hong Kong

Those who have vested interest in the political and economical status quo, coupling with the mass media controlled by the power and rich, spread the incorrect messages, with an attempt to turn Hong Kong into a place where development can continue indefinitely. An example that has been used repeatedly is Donald Tsang, former Chief Executive, claimed that Hong Kong’s population should reach 10 millions (currently population stands at around 7 millions). As the population grows, the space becomes more crowded, the government started to look at developing country parks, and it exhausts all measures in order to increase the population. Part of the reason is political: weakens the power of united Hong Kongers; part of the reason is economical: individual travel visa tourists is a ration business to the conglomerates who can exploit them to make extortionate profit, whilst landlords can profit from the ridiculous rent.

Nazis had a particular way to humiliate Jews: a big group of Jews are forced into a tiny room. It doesn’t matter if you’re a gentleman or educated. When you are forced in a situation where people are standing cheek by jowl and have no personal space, you will get annoyed and impatient. You become agitated, and fights break out easily.

Hong Kongers are in the same situation. The people of Hong Kong had pure and innocent emotions for China, but when Chinese are threatening the livelihood of Hong Kongers, there is no room for kindness. Relations between the two races, Hong Konger and Chinese, are on a knife-edge. Travel Industry Council Chairman Michael Wu Siu-ying and the like dared to claim that there is room to increase the number of individual travel visas. Which weights more? One’s selfishness and instant financial benefits, or the livelihood of all Hong Kongers and the long term stable relationship between Hong Kong and China? These people clearly prefer the former.

How many people who were granted One-Way Permits (OWP) actually came to Hong Kong to reunite with their families in Hong Kong? How many came to Hong Kong for other reasons? This is the truth many who only ask Hong Kongers to tolerate the differences do not dare to address nor face. Ching Cheong once revealed that a single OWP can cost US$130,000, but these pseudo left-wingers decided to ignored this matter: in their eyes, every one who emigrated from China is a humble, pure, hard working and traditional citizenship. How many of these left-wingers do truly believe “Hong Kong and China are one family”? And how many of them work in organsations and NGOs that service new immigrants in order to gain actual benefits themselves (subsidies from government and other “organisations”)?

Of course, there is still land in Hong Kong to accommodate more people and tourists. But the question we ought to ask is: is this necessary? Currently, the population development in Hong Kong is in line with a certain senior government official’s (Paul Chan Mo-po) subdivided flat business: maximise the profit – i.e. dividing an ordinary residential flat into multiple units, rental income can be multiplied. However, the living standard of those who live in a subdivided unit is worst than a caged animal. There is an “interest group” in Hong Kong that is colluded with China and determined to turn Hong Kong into a subdivided flat. Hong Kongers’ livelihood is the least of their concerns, where maximising their profit is the greatest.

Simply because no matter how crowded Hong Kong is, they are still living in their spacious home up in the Peak or Mid-levels. When they retire, they will immigrate to the UK, their home country. The people of Hong Kong are in a living hell? Come on James*, they don’t give a fuck.

Editor’s Note:

* “Come on James” came from an article by Chip Tsao written in 2004, which was about a girl decided to dump her boyfriend, who was studying for an Associate Degree, for a University classmate of her who is reading law. The article originally was to criticised the education system in Hong Kong, but soon was adopted in Golden Forum, and become a phrase that is used to express disdainfulness and to ridicule others.